This invention relates generally to stereophonic sound-recording equipment and, more particularly, to stereophonic recording equipment for home or other use by relatively unskilled operators.
As is well known, stereophonic recording equipment in general utilizes at least two microphones spatially separated so that a wave front from a source of sound will arrive at the microphones at slightly different times, and thereby produce recordable electrical signals displaced in phase relative to each other. When the signals are subsequently reproduced from a recording medium and used to actuate two or more separated loudspeakers, phase-displaced sound waves are generated, and a listener is given the illusion that the sound is emanating from the same direction as the original and not necessarily from any one of the loudspeakers.
Although stereophonic recording equipment has been widely used for some years, there still exists a need for a stereophonic recorder which is relatively simple to operate, which can produce high quality stereophonic recordings, and which preferably uses standard recording tape cassettes. A major difficulty with stereophonic recorders is that, although the general public appreciates listening to stereophonic recordings, they are generally unaware of such recording techniques as proper microphone location necessary to produce pleasing stereophonic results. Furthermore, since dual microphones must be used, there is a certain element of inconvenience for the user, who must plug in and position both microphones before recording. This inconvenience associated with the use of a recorder in a "live" recording mode, usually results in the recorder's not being often used in that mode. This is especially true for portable recorders, where connecting and positioning the microphones is yet another chore to be performed in addition to setting up the recorder itself and its associated speakers.
Another consideration is that users of previously available stereophonic recorders often obtain poor results in the "live" recording mode, because the spatial separation of the microphones during recording is significantly different from the spacing of the speakers during play-back. The original spatial separation of the sound sources is not then faithfully reproduced.